Military Judges Say Andrie Yunus Undermined Court's Authority

The panel of judges at the Military Court II-08 Jakarta stated that the Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Andrie Yunus, has undermined the authority of the court. The assessment was delivered by the judges in relation to Andrie’s persistent refusal to provide testimony before the trial. The military judges panel consisted of Colonel Fredy Ferdian Isnartanto, Lieutenant Colonel Iwan Tasri, and Navy Major Mokhamad Zainal Abidin. The panel was supported by clerk First Lieutenant Rekika Bangun.

Andrie Yunus is the victim of an acid attack allegedly perpetrated by four members of the Detachment Headquarters of the Indonesian Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS TNI), who are the defendants in this trial. The judges originally hoped that Andrie could attend the trial in person to provide testimony. They sought to uncover the circumstances surrounding Andrie before, during, and after the acid attack, viewing these legal facts as important considerations for sentencing.

‘My good faith has not been reciprocated with good faith from Andrie Yunus, given his health condition that does not allow him to be physically present in this military courtroom,’ said the judge. The judges noted that they also offered Andrie the option to testify online, which he again did not fulfil. ‘In this matter, until the examination was closed, there was no goodwill from Andrie Yunus,’ the judge stated.

The judge further commented that Andrie, besides neglecting his obligations, gave a contrary impression to the trial process, provided a negative stigma and distrust towards the judicial process in the military court, and even seemed to have ‘mocked’ the legitimate process provided by the state. The judge declared that Andrie personally did not care to seek and obtain justice by being uncooperative, and that this would be taken into consideration in the verdict.

In this acid attack case, the judges declared the four BAIS TNI soldiers proven guilty of committing planned maltreatment against Andrie. The defendants were sentenced to prison. Defendant I, Sergeant Edi Sudarko, was sentenced to 3 years in prison; Defendant II, Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months; Defendant III, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, was sentenced to 2 years; and Defendant IV, Lieutenant Sami Lakka, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months.

Defendants I and II acted as field executors who threw acid at Andrie. The judges considered the degree of fault and the quality of the actions of Defendants III and IV, resulting in lighter sentences despite their higher ranks. Furthermore, the judges imposed an additional penalty on Defendants I and II in the form of dismissal from military service. The defendants were proven to have violated the Indonesian Criminal Code. The verdict is not yet final as the military prosecutor and the defendants stated they would use the seven-day period to consider their options.